National Museum of Australia acquires celebrated shears of Jackie Howe

Updated
Wed Oct 30 21:43:30 EST 2013

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National museum buys a piece of rural history

7pm TV News QLD

The National Museum of Australia has emerged as the mystery bidder that paid $38,000 for a pair of shears once owned by shearing great Jackie Howe.

In a fiercely contested bidding process at Sotheby's in Melbourne the estimated value of between $15,000 and $25,000 was dramatically exceeded.

The auction was "fiercely contested", according to auctioneer Geoffrey Smith.

He said he was "delighted" that the shears, "which have captured the imagination of the nation during the past few weeks, have been acquired by the National Museum of Australia where all Australians can appreciate the remarkable legacy of Jackie Howe."

Howe has been described as the greatest shearer who ever lived, and his former possessions are highly sought after among collectors.